‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT’

Singaporean Artist ‘Devastated’ After Plagiarism Suit Tossed Over ‘Insufficient Originality’

Zhang Jingna, a photographer, sued a Luxembourgish art student after what she claimed was an uncredited, near-identical copy of her work won an award and was put up for sale.

A Singaporean photographer’s claim of plagiarism over what she called a near-identical copy of her work was dismissed by a Luxembourg court in an “absurd” ruling over its “insufficient originality” this week, her lawyer told local outlets. In a Twitter statement, Zhang Jingna, the U.S.-based plaintiff, said she was “devastated” by the decision, writing that it set “a dangerous precedent” for European copyright law. The ruling comes six months after she first accused Jeff Dieschburg, an art student in Luxembourg, of copying a photograph she’d taken for a 2017 Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam cover. Dieschburg’s portrait, which Zhang claimed was an uncredited version of her work, was put up for sale after winning a prize at a state-supported biennale earlier this year. “Am I crazy or is this insane,” Zhang wrote in an Instagram caption alongside a side-by-side image of the two works in June, clarifying that she was “happy” to allow students to reference her work, “as long as it’s not for official portfolios, commercial gain, and always credited.” Zhang’s attorney, Vincent Wellens, confirmed to a Luxembourg news outlet that they would appeal the ruling.